Triple Crown Late Nominees: 13 Named

3/25/2013

3:42 pm EDT

The roster of eligibles for the 2013 Triple Crown has grown to 382 with13 late nominations named on Monday.

The most accomplished of them is Black Onyx, winner of the Grade III Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes for trainer Kelly Breen at Turfway Park. Also among the late nominees is Giant Finish, third in the Spiral for trainer Tony Dutrow.

The deadline for late nominations to the Triple Crown was on-or-before March 23. A fee of $6,000 was required.

Also included among the late-nominations are:

--Undrafted, third in the Grade II Swale at Gulfstream Park for trainer Wesley Ward.

--The Al Stall Jr.-trained duo of Departing, winner of the $50,000 Texas Heritage at Sam Houston Park, and Sunbean, whose three wins against state-bred competition in Louisiana include the Gentilly Stakes at Fair Grounds.

--Infinite Magic, a recent purchase by Team Valor International with two wins from five starts in Britain that include a recent 1 1/4-mile triumph over the all-weather surface at Lingfield.

--The Mike Maker-trained duo of Brazilian Court and Wings of Fortune, each of which has a maiden victory to his credit.

--Are You Kidding Me, runner-up in the Grade II Summer Stakes last year on turf at Woodbine for trainer Roger Attfield.

--Erik the Red, a recent maiden winner for trainer Linda Rice at Aqueduct.

--Narvaez, who scored his second career victory in a dead-heat with early Triple Crown nominee Declan’s Warrior in a recent optional claiming allowance race at Gulfstream Park.

--Hip Four Sixtynine, who scored his first victory in seven races in a maiden race at Fair Grounds on Feb. 23.

All of the late Triple Crown nominees are colts. Nine of the 13 were bred in Kentucky, with the others bred in California, Florida, Louisiana and New York.

Graham Motion, who won the 2011 Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, is the trainer of Infinite Magic and now has seven nominees in his care. Maker’s pair of late nominees also raised his overall total to seven, while Black Onyx is Breen’s fifth nominee.

Horses not nominated to the Triple Crown during either nomination phase will have a final opportunity to become eligible for the series through a supplemental nomination process. Those horses can become eligible for one or all of the Triple Crown races with the payment of a supplemental nomination fee at the time of entry of any of the three races. A supplemental nominee is eligible to run in the remaining Triple Crown events after payment of the fee. A supplemental nomination at the time of entry to the Kentucky Derby requires a payment of $200,000, but preference is given to original nominees first. The supplemental fee is $100,000 if paid prior to either the Preakness or Belmont Stakes.

The 2012 Triple Crown series attracted 398 early nominations. Twenty more horses were added during the late nomination phase, which brought total Triple Crown nominations for 2012 to 418. The final total was the largest since a record 460 nominations were received in 2007 and 2008.